Please explain the dining plan in simple terms

[Lovemy3babes]

I feel confused! I read through everything but still am a bit lost. How do you keep track of what credits you have used? I've read that you can split meals. How does that work at someplace like a sit-down meal? Anyway, could you explain it all to me like I'm 5. I feel like it right now!

 

[TikiGoddess]

Okay, here it is...right now!
Say you have 2 people staying 5 nights (how many days you're there doesn't matter so if you stayed 6 days, you might have to pay for a couple of meals OOP). With 5 nights you would have 10 TS credits total, 10 CS credits total and 10 snack credits total. With each TS (table service or sit down meal) you get, per TS credit 1 app. 1 entree and 1 dessert and an non alcoholic drink. So, if you and your dh decided to share, you would only use 1 TS credit for that meal. If you didn't share you would use 2. Unless you were dining in a signature restaurant which costs 2 TS per person. I think California Grill takes 2 per person...there is a list of all of them that do. Let me tell you an app, entree and dessert each meal equals A LOT of food. After each meal, you should check your receipt which keeps a running total of how many credits of that type you have left. So if you go to a table service on your first day and you each use a table service your receipt should read...8 TS credits left. As for counter service credits you can use these the same way. If you want to share you could get a meal and split it using only 1 CS and then use one of your snack credits for your extra drink. The CS credits include a full combo meal and a dessert as well as a drink. If you shared a CS the first day and then used one snack credit for an extra coke, your receipt should read...9 CS credits left 9 snack credits left. I'm hoping this is making sense. I would do all my OOP (out of pocket) meals at your cheapest places. For example, we ate almost all our b-fasts in the room since we're not big breakfast eaters. It worked out great for us because all we would usually eat was a bagel or banana or something. The snacks pretty much consist of bottled water, coke, popcorn, mickey rice krispie treat, a frozen mickey bar or sometimes a piece of fruit. We found the things they let us have for snack credits were kind of inconsistent throughout the parks. Sometimes we could buy milk with that and sometimes not...it just depended. We used ours mostly for water. If for some reason you find that your credits aren't right, you can take your receipts to your hotel lobby desk and they can correct it for you. Children under nine are required to order from the childrens' menu and their meals also include an app, entree and dessert at TS's and a combo and dessert at CS's. If there are not kid's desserts or appetizers available on the kid's menus they can order from the adults. Okay, I think that's everything. Let me know if you have more questions!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

LOL! You're great. Another quick question. Besides the character meals, is a reservation necessary for each sit down meal? It'll will be two adults and five kiddos. Going in mid-November if that makes a difference.

Oh, thought of another. What if you run out of CS credits? Can you use a TS credit since that may be worth more?

 

[TikiGoddess]

Yes, I would definitely get reservations for every place you want to eat sit down. With the new dining plan they are booked solid. I know when we were there in Oct. there were signs up in the parks saying all table service restaurants were booked and to not even try to get a table. You might luck out at one or two, but I wouldn't chance it. You can make reservations 180 days out plus 10 now. Meaning you can make it 180 days out from your first day there to 10 days after that. You can use TS credits for CS, but it probably isn't the best use of the credits. We had a 2 & 4 yr.old w/us last trip and we really enjoyed the break of a sitdown meal. Have fun!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thank you!!!

 

[TikiGoddess]

You are very welcome!

 

[lorrainesy]

LOL!!! now this is the thread I need! Thanks for the info ....I was a little confussed about it also. We just got it free because we are going in September,it sounds pretty good. I think it will ork well for us

 

[MikeS.]

DDP was one of the best buys I found. But definetely make reservations well in advance. We were there in late March w/o reservations and had trouble getting sit down service. On our 3rd night I spent over an hour on the phone with the dining person making reservations. We left the park with 5 credits unused. Still got our moneys worth though.

 

[byoung]

Now you know all about the DDP. Congrats